There are a few schools of thought on where the term “flapper” came from. Some believe it was a comparison between a young woman setting out on her own and a growing bird flapping its wings as it learned how to fly. Others say it came from the flapping pigtails that young ladies in England traditionally wore before they graduated to a shorter and more “adult” hairstyle. Wherever it came from, it wasn’t necessarily intended as a flattering term, but as time has gone by it’s stood as a mile marker for a nostalgic era.

As with any long gone era, our modern ideas about the 1920s certainly don’t tell the whole story, but the one they do tell is a good bit of fun. It’s a time of speakeasys, jaunty jalopies, raccoon coats, hot jazz, moonshine, and really strange slang - phrases like “23 skidoo,” “Oh, you kid,” “Banana oil,” and, of course, “flapper.” Maybe that’s why flappers have endured so long in our culture. They’re a symbol of an era that we can’t prove was anything but the rockin’ good time we want it to have been.

Embrace your quest for a simpler time in this black polyester flapper costume, featuring fun fringe and ribbon details and a bow tie at the neckline. Fun accessories include a pair of forearm length gloves, and a sequined headband with black ribbon for an added flourish. It’s a far cry from an adolescent bird or a pigtailed girl, and that’s jake with us. (“Jake” being 1920s slang for “totally fine,” of course.)